This Reformation Thesis is a call to massive shift in the church and in our nation.

God has given the church every resource and opportunity necessary to initiate a fire of revival that will burn our cities, nations and planet.

We can all agree this fire is not raging–and the current structure in the church can neither initiate nor sustain a move of God of this magnitude.

It’s time for a radical and momentous change in the church. It’s time for reformation. It’s time for revolution.

APOSTOLIC CENTERS

Glenn Bleakney writes:

In this critical hour, Holy Spirit is revealing the significance of shifting churches away from conventional gathering places towards Apostolic Centers. These Apostolic Centers are not merely physical locations; they are communities where God’s people assemble to encounter the tangible presence and glory of God, and be equipped to advance His Kingdom.

Apostolic Centers are dynamic hubs where the Holy Spirit is actively moving, transforming lives, and empowering believers for kingdom work. In these physical environments, the gathered people of God experience His manifest presence, receive prophetic revelation, and are trained and mobilized as effective ministers of the gospel to advance the kingdom of God into the marketplace, cities, and nations.

Rather than focused solely on weekend services, Apostolic Centers foster a culture of ongoing discipleship, ministry training, and missional living. They equip believers to operate in the fivefold ministry gifts, and send them out as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to impact their communities and the nations.

This shift towards Apostolic Centers is a strategic move of the Holy Spirit to prepare the Bride of Christ for the harvest and the return of Jesus. As the church aligns with this vision, it will experience a new level of authority, anointing, and impact in the earth.

The “family-style” churches must quickly shift and embrace a governmental paradigm. We must gather laborers, pray with passion, equip a holy military and advance into the darkness as we pursue full-blown revival. An outpouring and a city-structure that can withstand the weight must consume our thoughts.

27 POINTS OF REFORMATION AND REVOLUTION IN THE CHURCH

The following was written originally in the mid-2000s to the church of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and then to the cities of the earth. While I don’t know the current landscape of the church of Colorado Springs, I’ve heard rumblings about the lack of five-fold, apostolic, governmental order in the city. If true, this shouldn’t come as a surprise as this is true in most cities. 

The verbiage in the Thesis was adjusted to address our current city, Branson, Missouri, though any city could most probably be substituted. These 27 points are simple yet critical to consider. I address the problem and then share the benefits of extreme course-correction:

1: We must repent of prayerlessness.

A call is being made for every believer to pray with hunger and passion to an extreme degree. Spiritual leaders of this city must model such a lifestyle of prayer on a daily basis. It must be our primary activity.

Pastors and leaders–let’s agree to developing a furnace of intercession in every local church and a weekly city-wide prayer event that shakes the region to the core.

Keep in mind, your primary call is prayer and study of the Word, not visitation, program development, administration or other focuses that steal time energy and focus.

Leonard Ravenhill said, “Pastors who don’t pray two hours a day aren’t worth a dime a dozen”

“Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”” (Acts 6:3–4, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Literally everything changes when we adopt an intense, strategic, continual lifestyle of intercession.

The supernatural increases, miracles happen, intimacy with Jesus skyrockets, pretenders are exposed, the corporate mission is strengthened.

I’ve counseled pastors to incorporate deep, fiery prayer meetings to set the culture in their leadership team. These supernatural meetings will quickly reveal those who are resistant, opposed to the mission, apathetic, given to a spirit of control or who have embraced an Absalom spirit.

2: We must repent of competition.

It’s time to promote the city church ahead of our local church. Are we willing to lose people, money, our ministries and our reputations for God’s corporate dream of city-wide revival to explode? The “sheep stealing” myth must be exposed for what it is: insecurity, personal kingdom building and a spirit of competition. The truth is it’s impossible for someone to steal what we don’t own. We don’t own the sheep. 

As Bring Ming said, “God forgive us for building kingdoms of man on doctrines of demons in your name.”

Further, our aim is not to grow our local church, but rather, as a simple, small department of the city church, we must promote connection in various ministries in the region. 

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3, ESV)

BENEFITS:

We have no idea the nuclear-level strength we’ll have if the churches of the city became the church of the city.

Everything is stronger, healthier, more precise, better equipped. Additionally, self-centered kingdom building and other idols are torn down in favor of a city-wide altar of worship.

3: We must repent for being mindful of man ahead of God–and then resign our positions as salespeople. We are to once again lead with a bold prophetic mantle.

As a leader, the primary role is to hear God in prayer and to declare his Word to the people. The body must renounce consumerism in the church by asking not what our church can do for us but what we can do for our church.

We must stop attempting to make our church more desirable, attractive and popular so as to attract the crowds. The prophetic messages we are called to shout will repel most.

“But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”” (Matthew 16:23, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Allowing God to give supreme leadership will offend many and will upset those who have built a “family-style church.” However, the resulting remnant will be firebreathers who are ready to lay down their lives and expose the darkness.

4: We must repent for forsaking the house of prayer.

There is a call for every church in the city to maintain prayer as its primary ministry. It is to be modeled and led by senior leadership.

The primary purpose of the church is not teaching, visitor assimilation or fellowship. It is undeniably night and day prayer for the nations. Lengthy prayer should be taught and modeled as the dominant activity of every believer. Those who refuse to buy into this mission must not be allowed to dictate the level of passion in the ministry.

As I’ve often said, “I refuse to tone down the activity of the Holy Spirit out of respect of those less hungry.”

“these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”” (Isaiah 56:7, ESV)

BENEFITS:

When prayer is not the primary activity of everyone in the church, the entire mission is compromised and underpowered. A culture of intercession results in unity, strength and ever-increasing passion for Jesus.

“Prayer is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man´s true spiritual condition (there is nothing so much as prayer life that tells the truth about us as Christian people). Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.”- Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:11–12, ESV)

1. Fervent: hot, boiling

“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,” (Romans 15:30, ESV)

1. Fervent, urgent

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16, ESV)

1. Fervent, To be active, to be mighty in, to work

5: We must repent of pride.

God resists the proud, and this city can’t afford for God to move away from us. We must repent, humble ourselves and cry for Jesus to come!

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” (James 4:6, ESV)

BENEFITS:

God literally stands opposed to those who are proud and the same is true for churches that are formed in pride. Renouncing this alliance with a wicked spirit of pride will result in deep intimacy with Jesus, great favor, a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit and a grace that is immeasurable.

(Scripture + commentary) Matt 23:12 Whoever exalts himself [with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be raised to honor.¹³ But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are about to go in to do so.^{14 [}Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you swallow up widows’ houses and for a pretense to cover it up make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation and the heavier sentence.¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are.

6: We must repent for quenching the Holy Spirit.

Our cry must be, “Come as you are and do what you want!” Sunday services should be marked by significant and earth-shaking supernatural moves of the Holy Spirit.

“Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Where do I begin?! When the Spirit is not quenched AT ALL, the entire place erupts in fire!

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7, ESV)

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, faith, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation; the benefits are immeasurable.

A church that is not moving in the supernatural must be scrutinized. The mission we have been given is impossible to accomplish without signs, wonders, miracles, dreams, visions and supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

7: We must repent for resisting the prophetic.

Now, more than ever, we need to hear the Word of the Lord. We must teach every believer how to hear God, how to steward that Word and how to take responsibility in the fulfillment of that Word.

“Do not despise prophecies,” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Leading a church without a vibrant prophetic culture is an experiment in futility. God has absolutely critical revelation to reveal to us.

We need the 100 prophets to emerge from the caves!

Obadiah hid them, Elijah was accused of being a troubler of Israel, the fire fell, the prophets of Baal were defeated. This scenario must play out again in Branson and the cities of the earth!

“And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)” (1 Kings 18:3–4, ESV)

8: We must embrace and teach on the experiential reality of the presence of God.

If someone were to be on the moon, would he want to learn about air or experience air? Branson must experience the fresh flowing air of the Holy Spirit again.

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2:1–2, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Revival. When the Kabod and Shekinah come, and demons flee, and the anointing overwhelms, people are literally transformed forever.

Check this out:

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” (Acts 7:54–8:1, ESV)

Saul watched this! This was an experiential reality for him.

Saul would soon become Paul. The entire world would soon be turned upside down!

9: We must be willing to forsake programs and policies set in place by the demands of man in favor of the divine vision of the Holy Spirit.

Today people expect a vibrant worship ministry, children’s ministry, youth ministry, singles ministry, coffee shop, small groups and much more. While any of these ministries are not inherently wrong, they quite often are not what God desires for a particular church.

Gather “pavement people.” Those who don’t care about comfort, about the biggest and the best, about their own satisfaction are the remnant you are looking for. They are happy hitting the pavement and declaring the goodness of God.

“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”” (2 Chronicles 7:1–3, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Our energy will be reserved for what is most critical.

The vision will drive the ministry instead of what people presume to need or want. The trajectory of the entire church will be wildly different than if we were need-driven.

10: We must release control of our services.

We should expect to stay late, burn hot, experience much, cast out demons, prophesy, proclaim the Word, worship intensely and enjoy a wonderfully messy but Holy Spirit ordered event. The first church was birthed supernaturally in such a way that many marveled and many mocked. It must continue now as it started then.

“And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”” (Acts 2:12–13, ESV)

BENEFITS:

The unexpected must be expected. Limits to God need to be torn down and passion for the unknown, supernatural manifestations of God must overtake us.

11: We must raise the bar of expectations and do now what we will be doing when revival breaks out.

Pray continually, burn hot, be in the House of Prayer daily, cry out for justice, establish the 24-hour church, give, serve and enjoy God with other believers.

“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7, ESV)

“and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” (Luke 2:37, ESV)

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46–47, ESV)

BENEFITS:

We will be crushed and sharpened, disciplined and ready when the weight of revival hits the region.

God will be able to use us in a leadership capacity and as stewards of the outpouring. We will be ready.

12: We must repent for surrendering to culture by canceling services, closing the church doors and lowering the expected commitment.

We have submitted to a deadly and apathetic American culture, and it’s time to lead the way and bring reformation to that culture. The church must dominate our calendars again.

BENEFITS:

The church will shift from cowering to culture to shaping it.

Our families will be stronger, full of fire and deeply intimate with each other and with the Lord.

Prayer meetings, prayer walking, equipping, worship and so much more should be our primary activities, not T-ball, ballet, movies or other lesser things.

“And day by day, attending the temple together…” (Acts 2:46, ESV)

13: We must cry out for the love of God to weigh on His church in the form of both mercy and judgment.

Pray for God’s judgment to rest on you, your church and this city so as to ensure wrong things are made right, holiness prevails and God reigns supreme.

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Judgment is simply God making wrong things right. God will use the least severe method to get the greatest results.

When we trust God to judge and crush and break us, everything changes. The church is stronger. Our families are stronger.

14: We must teach Acts chapter two style–experience a move of God and then teach on it.

Experience an overpowering move of the Holy Spirit to such a degree that highly anointed biblical teachings penetrate hearts. What God does in the moment is then taught and explained from a supernatural perspective. Instead of teaching about revival to come, we need revival to break out, providing us the opportunity to explain the other-worldly invasion that shocked the city.

“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Acts 2:14–21, ESV)

BENEFITS:

We get to experience God!

A full-speed ahead pursuit of supernatural visitation should consume us!

15: We must admit there are demons and that they must be dealt with.

Not through programs and projects but through prophetic proclamation. A unified assault on the kingdom of darkness will result in mass deliverance in our city.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, ESV)

BENEFITS:

The freedom will be immeasurable!

Demons will finally be forced out of hiding and we will be free and full of life.

The freedom will spread like wildfire as demonic strongholds are destroyed in the city.

It will be normal for demons to manifest on Sunday mornings, right in the middle of the service, as people pray, contend for freedom and witness supernatural deliverance.

16: We must be available for repositioning and do away with the redundancy that a church on every corner invites.

Many churches in our city should close. Those pastors would then assume more appropriate positions of service in other churches. Teachers would lead centers of teaching, pastors would lead small groups, and other leaders would serve in a variety of physical locations within the city church. The goal is one city church, many departments, unified leadership and individualized roles.

BENEFITS:

Huge unnecessary burdens will be lifted from leaders as they are released to focus on what they are called and wired to do.

The power of a city church can’t be understated.

17: We must again become Holy Spirit sensitive instead of seeker sensitive.

People aren’t looking for something worth living for, but rather for a cause worth dying for. Show them the cross.

The normal New Testament church experience is one of extreme manifestations of God, death to self, prophetic preaching and an unapologetic invasion into the culture which results in momentous change.

I believe the “seeker sensitive” movement has been the most destructive model of church in recent history. The devastation won’t be fully realized until people enter into eternity.

“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:34–35, ESV)

BENEFITS:

The pretenders will leave and the remnant will be free to advance with great unity and strength.

The anointing will skyrocket and those “seekers” who are truly hungry will run to the altar. It will be more about God’s invasion into their lives than their assimilation into an affinity group.

18: We must again embrace dreams, visions, praying in the Holy Spirit and extreme encounters with God.

“So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.” (1 Corinthians 14:39, ESV)

BENEFITS:

The mission of the church will be strengthened as people are receiving revelation.

Our personal lives will become powerfully effective as we are led by supernatural guidance instead of staggering around in confusion.

19: We must repent for presenting a watered down, socially acceptable gospel.

Salvation requires death, surrender and commitment to the plans of God.

“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:21–22, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Authentic salvations will result in a powerful church.

The Rich Young Rulers won’t be affirmed, the Money Changers in the temple won’t be coddled and the truth won’t be compromised.

20: We must repent for emphasizing what people can get instead of what they are to give.

To enter a church with the expectation of leaving with more than you entered with is to embrace the same spirit the money changers did. We must again, with fear and trembling, enter the House of Prayer with the expectation of making a sacrifice and giving an offering.

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”” (Matthew 21:12–13, ESV)

BENEFITS:

We will have clarity on our devotion to Jesus.

During the Triumphal Entry, Jesus was “worshiped” by people crying out “Hosanna!” That word, Hosanna, translates as, “save us now.” The focus was on self.

The moment they determined Jesus wouldn’t give them what they hoped for, they turned on him. Their next cry was, “crucify him!”

People will attend our churches as long as we give them what they want. Instead we may need nearly empty churches with the few who have the guts to gather around the cross.

21: We must encourage every believer to grow intentionally, rapidly and independently.

And then, to step into their assigned ministry role.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:12–14, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Strong leadership teams will develop as will strong, devoted people.

22: We must call for the fear of the Lord to return to our churches and city.

“Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:17–18, ESV)

BENEFITS:

We will be calibrated with the reality of who God is. Both the love and the severity of God will be made known.

23: We must repent for rebellion, self-government, lawlessness and an independent spirit.

This is evidenced through church hopping and by leaving a church without being sent out by the leaders. This results in compromised missions, a divisive spirit and a splintering of the body. Accountability and submission to authority must again return to the church.

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17, ESV)

BENEFITS:

We will shed demonic influence that has brought ruin to people, families and churches.

24: We must repent of gossip, complaining and other forms of witchcraft.

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16–19, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Alliance with demons will be eradicated.

The church will be much stronger and full of Holy Spirit activity.

25: We must repent for embracing a religious spirit.

Religion is this: “man’s attempt to use God to get what he wants.”

It’s time to cry out for God to remove our man made structures and advance his Kingdom in our city!

BENEFITS:

A spirit of religion killed Jesus. This same spirit resists the Spirit of God today.

When eradicated, the Holy Spirit will come in like a flood and give supernatural, divine leadership to our churches.

26: We must repent to the nation for misrepresenting Branson as a significant Christian center of Holy Spirit activity.

It is not. We have wrongly stewarded this responsibility. We hear a lot about “God and country,” and there is much that is very positive happening here. However, we can’t stop the analysis of the spiritual condition of our region with what seems to be healthy. 

There are altars that must be torn down, wicked spirits that must be exposed and repentance that must overwhelm us all.

BENEFITS:

The humility repentance would bring will be a catalyst for a massive move of God.

It would also recalibrate the church of Branson and make it possible to effectively steward revival.

27: We must repent for not praying intently for our leaders.

Their failure is our failure.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1–2, ESV)

BENEFITS:

Leaders would be undergirded, their arms lifted and covered. Failure would decrease and the mission of Kingdom advance would be strengthened.

Pastors and other ministers would not be as susceptible to failure.

The people would not be as susceptible to disillusionment and falling away due to the failure of leadership.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As we pray, unify, preach the cross, love God and the people of our city with passion and embrace the present Word of the Lord Branson will be a propellant for revival around the world.

Written trembling in the fear of the Lord,

John Burton
Revival X